Store system



July 20 1926. 1,592,931

A. E. FRITSCHE STORE SYSTEM Filed August 18 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 a 4 Fjalt INVENTOR:

TTORNEY July 20 1926. l,592,93l

A. E. FRITSCHE STORE SYSTEM Filed August 18, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2. INVENTOR:

flzerf E 1 77766729 BY & W/

TT ORNEY Ptented July 20, 1926.

ALBERT E. FRITSCEE, OF LOB ANGELEB, CAL IFOBNIA.

STOBE SYSTEM.

Application filed August 13, 1925. Serial llo; 50,086.

This invention relates to -store service systems and more especially to those stores where the customers are authorized to serve themselves from counters and shelves.

In such class of stores the customer carries a basket or rece tacle and as ths is r filled with chosen goo s it soon becomes objectionably heavy to carry, particularly by children and old folks, and frail -females, and all crippled and weak customers. When a custoner finds that a load is too hea he or she may tire before completing pure asin 4 and thus the store loses the busness.

%lot only this, but when a number of customers are in the store, and at certain supply shelves, the bulky baskets cause inconvenience to the carriers and others due to crowdmg.

My present invention has for its objects to elimnate the carrying of baskets in the store aisles and thus not only releve the customer of the burden but to Secure the valuable psychological advantage of causing the customer, freed of the burden to spend more time in the store, looking over the goods and completing the purchases reallyi desired. To that end an object is to provide means for conveying articles, boug t by several different customers, to a common collecting station and provide means for keeping, in

segregation, the several packages or artcles which may be bought by each of the several customers.

Another object is to provide a store system having a conveyor apparatus leading to a central segregatin stand having individual chambers for different segregations as of different customers, and to provide for the identification of the articles selected by different customers so that the proper' articles may be sorted and held until the completion of all purchases by each customer.

And an object is to expedite service of customers by enabling the clerks to tabulate the purchases as the individual articles are brought to the central station by conveying means, so that by thetime the customer arrives at the cashier s counter, after having made the last purchase, the statement, itemized and totaled, will be ready for the customer. v

Other objects and advantages will be made manifest in the following specification of an embodiment of the invention as here illusitrated; it being understood that modifications, variations and adaptationsmay be resorted to within the spirit and scope ther-cof as here claimed.

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan of the store apparatus.

F igure 2 is a vertical cross-section of the store apparatus.

Figure 3 is a detail of mechanism, in plan.

Figure 4 is a detail of the transfer apron from a belt to a turntable.

Fgure 5 is a perspective showing an identification book of coupons.

The invention is here ncorporated in a store room S having an ingress turnstile I leading to a suitable aisle A in which is a central, or suitably arranged partition P having desired shelves or racks R. From the store room leads an exit turnstile O.

A feature of the present invention comprses means for receiving an article purchased by a Customer in the store room aisle and for transferring it to a central wrapping and cashier"s station or counter 2 at which a number of clerks may stand. The conveyor means comprises a suitable number of endless belts 3 having top surfaces at a suitable height so that customers of short stature may Conveniently deposit articles as they may be chosen from the wall and partition shelves, and which can, by reason of my present invention, be at a considerable disthe Operating itance from. the cashier s counter, since the Customer is relieved of the burden'of carrying the chosen articles.

The belts 3 may be suitably disposed and are here shown as being under shelves R whch `are on opposite sides of the partition P, a sufficient hand-space H being provided under the shelves and over the belts.

The belts lead front to the counter 2 which is here shown as round, in plan, and arranged between the inlet and outlet gate I and O. i

Arranged in the center of the counter space is a rotary turntable 5 close to the top of which the belts terminate so as to discharge the 'articles which the turntable.

The articles thus placed on the table are they carry, upon 'carried around by it until one of the clerks label on the article and places this on the.

nearest belt 3 and this carries it to the turn'- table.

The clerks then pick' up the numbered articles and place them in the correspondingly numbered counter box. When an ari ticle bearing a Last coupon arrives then all of the articles aretaken from the proper box, checked off and payment collectcd from the customer who comes to' the counter and surrenders the remaining coupon sticker as an identification means. r

It will be seen that as each article comes to the turntable the article can be itemized on the usual sales book check and the time of the Customer is conserved and waiting and crowding at the cashier's desk is elininated.)

.A Customer will thus tend to go in a leisurely manner around the store and,select more and heavier goods than will be the case if she has to carry the loaded market basket from shelf to shelf.

While any suitable means may be em plo ed to operate the `turntable and the belts, I show a turntable shat Ghaving a gear 7 engaging a pinion 8 on a shaft 9 which extends over to and drives a cross-shaft 11 having belt pulleys 12, one on each side of the partition P. Along the sides of the belts are guard rails 13 which extend over the top of the turntable 2. A motor M transmits power, as by gear 14, to the shafts 6-9.

Disposed on the counter 2 and near the etrance gate I, is a holder 15 for the books of coupons 10.

What is claimed is 1. In a store system, a turntable, roup package identification labels applicab e by a customer, conveyer apparatus leading from the store room to the turntable to Carry number-labelled goods thereto, and a counter having numbered chambers to receive goods according to their label number from the turntable. r

2. In self-service store apparatus, a stock room with stock racks disposed for convenient access by thepublic, a deliverycounter for clerks, a package receiving table surrounded by the counter and of about even height therewith, a conveyer System including belts having top flights disposed. at about counter height for access by customers and passing through the counter to said table and delivering packages to the nargin thereofand means for turning the table to carry the purchased packages to different parts of the counter.

3. A counter having indexed chambers, means for conveyng p rchased articles to the counter from the store room, and index means applicable to an article when selected by a customer to associate the article With one' of the chambers to facilitate segregation of a customer's purchases.

ALBERT FRITSCHE. 

